tntrojan
09-27-2004, 03:26 PM
Not sure if any of you saw this and it is pretty much a rehash of what has been said, but it is nice to know the media in a city like Atlanta are finally noticing. And this is not an AP story written by someone in Alabama. This is an AJC staff writier. Exposure like this cannot hurt recruiting either. The pay day numbers are staggering.
http://www.ajc.com/saturday/content/epaper/editions/saturday/sports_1455c1dc1280b0140016.html
GAME DAY NATION: Division I-A Trojan horse
Troy making noise after move up to the big time
Tony Barnhart - Staff
Saturday, September 25, 2004
When Troy University announced in 2000 that it would move from college football's Division I-AA to the much-tougher Division I-A, coach Larry Blakeney heard the snickers.
Why do it? Troy had been a successful Division II program, winning a national championship under coach Chan Gailey (now at Georgia Tech) in 1984. The Trojans made a smooth transition to I-AA in 1991 and made five trips to the playoffs.
But going to Division I-A in a state competing against SEC powers Alabama and Auburn? From the outside looking in, it made no sense.
"People said we were crazy to go I-A," said Blakeney, who has been the Trojans' coach since 1991. "But we looked around the college football landscape and decided that we'd be crazy if we didn't go."
It didn't take long for Blakeney to prove his point. For Troy, the move to Division I-A wasn't about ego or status. It was about money.
Troy didn't ease into its new life as a Division I-A member, opening the 2001 season at Nebraska, a team that eventually would play in the Rose Bowl for the BCS national championship. Nebraska won the game 42-14, but Troy picked up a check for $475,000.
That was $130,000 more than the football program had generated during the entire 2000 season.
By the end of 2001 Troy had lost on the road to Nebraska, Miami, Mississippi State and Maryland. But the football team had earned $2.3 million. The year before the program had earned $345,000.
"My athletic director [Johnny Williams] and I have a deal," said Blakeney, a former player and assistant coach at Auburn. "I told him I wouldn't cry and moan to the press about the schedule if he would throw me a bone or two in the future. It was something we had to go through in order to pay the bills. I didn't mind taking my lumps for a while."
It appears that Troy's days of taking its lumps are coming to an end. The school, located just south of Montgomery, is one of a host of emerging Division I-A teams that the big boys in the BCS conferences simply do not want to play.
Why? Just ask Missouri.
The Tigers from the Big 12 were ranked No. 19 in the nation on Sept. 9 when they traveled to Troy for the biggest home game in the history of the school. After Missouri jumped to a quick 14-0 lead, Troy stunned the Tigers by rallying to win 24-14. Troy had to guarantee to play at Missouri twice in order to get the Tigers to come to Troy once. Nobody in Troy expects Missouri to return in the future.
"When we started [in Div. I-A], our goal was to gain credibility and respect at the least, and shock some people at the most," said Blakeney, whose team beat Marshall 17-15 in its opener. "I think we shocked Missouri."
"What they've done at Troy is just incredible," said Gailey, who will attend the 20-year reunion of Troy's national championship team later this fall. "When I was there we just wanted to get to Division I-AA. There is no way you could buy all of the national recognition they have received."
The celebration of the Missouri victory probably lasted a little too long. On Saturday the Trojans went on the road to play New Mexico State in their first game as a member of the Sun Belt Conference. Troy took an 18-15 lead with 6:58 to play, but New Mexico State scored with 2:05 left to win 22-18.
But the fact that Troy has suffered its first loss doesn't mean South Carolina's Lou Holtz is sleeping easier this week. His Gamecocks (2-1) will be hosting the Trojans tonight at Williams Brice Stadium.
"I'm greatly concerned about this football game," said Holtz, whose only loss was to No. 3 Georgia (21-16) on Sept. 11. "When you put in the film and watch them play Missouri, that says it all. They've been able to dominate the line of scrimmage against everybody they play."
http://www.ajc.com/saturday/content/epaper/editions/saturday/sports_1455c1dc1280b0140016.html
GAME DAY NATION: Division I-A Trojan horse
Troy making noise after move up to the big time
Tony Barnhart - Staff
Saturday, September 25, 2004
When Troy University announced in 2000 that it would move from college football's Division I-AA to the much-tougher Division I-A, coach Larry Blakeney heard the snickers.
Why do it? Troy had been a successful Division II program, winning a national championship under coach Chan Gailey (now at Georgia Tech) in 1984. The Trojans made a smooth transition to I-AA in 1991 and made five trips to the playoffs.
But going to Division I-A in a state competing against SEC powers Alabama and Auburn? From the outside looking in, it made no sense.
"People said we were crazy to go I-A," said Blakeney, who has been the Trojans' coach since 1991. "But we looked around the college football landscape and decided that we'd be crazy if we didn't go."
It didn't take long for Blakeney to prove his point. For Troy, the move to Division I-A wasn't about ego or status. It was about money.
Troy didn't ease into its new life as a Division I-A member, opening the 2001 season at Nebraska, a team that eventually would play in the Rose Bowl for the BCS national championship. Nebraska won the game 42-14, but Troy picked up a check for $475,000.
That was $130,000 more than the football program had generated during the entire 2000 season.
By the end of 2001 Troy had lost on the road to Nebraska, Miami, Mississippi State and Maryland. But the football team had earned $2.3 million. The year before the program had earned $345,000.
"My athletic director [Johnny Williams] and I have a deal," said Blakeney, a former player and assistant coach at Auburn. "I told him I wouldn't cry and moan to the press about the schedule if he would throw me a bone or two in the future. It was something we had to go through in order to pay the bills. I didn't mind taking my lumps for a while."
It appears that Troy's days of taking its lumps are coming to an end. The school, located just south of Montgomery, is one of a host of emerging Division I-A teams that the big boys in the BCS conferences simply do not want to play.
Why? Just ask Missouri.
The Tigers from the Big 12 were ranked No. 19 in the nation on Sept. 9 when they traveled to Troy for the biggest home game in the history of the school. After Missouri jumped to a quick 14-0 lead, Troy stunned the Tigers by rallying to win 24-14. Troy had to guarantee to play at Missouri twice in order to get the Tigers to come to Troy once. Nobody in Troy expects Missouri to return in the future.
"When we started [in Div. I-A], our goal was to gain credibility and respect at the least, and shock some people at the most," said Blakeney, whose team beat Marshall 17-15 in its opener. "I think we shocked Missouri."
"What they've done at Troy is just incredible," said Gailey, who will attend the 20-year reunion of Troy's national championship team later this fall. "When I was there we just wanted to get to Division I-AA. There is no way you could buy all of the national recognition they have received."
The celebration of the Missouri victory probably lasted a little too long. On Saturday the Trojans went on the road to play New Mexico State in their first game as a member of the Sun Belt Conference. Troy took an 18-15 lead with 6:58 to play, but New Mexico State scored with 2:05 left to win 22-18.
But the fact that Troy has suffered its first loss doesn't mean South Carolina's Lou Holtz is sleeping easier this week. His Gamecocks (2-1) will be hosting the Trojans tonight at Williams Brice Stadium.
"I'm greatly concerned about this football game," said Holtz, whose only loss was to No. 3 Georgia (21-16) on Sept. 11. "When you put in the film and watch them play Missouri, that says it all. They've been able to dominate the line of scrimmage against everybody they play."